Calls for Barrhead rapist to be deported

Dawn Renton

Barrhead’s Romanian rapist should be deported immediately, according to East Renfrewshire MP Paul Masterton.

Samuel Ciornei threatened a 14-year-old girl with a piece of broken glass and raped her behind the Iceland supermarket in Barrhead last summer.

He entered the UK on July 19, 2016, from his native Romania and committed the rape for which he has now been convicted and sentenced less than three weeks later.

Cioreni was subsequently convicted and then sentenced to nine years imprisonment in November 2017.

Paul Masterton has now called for Ciornei to be sent home to serve his prison sentence immediately.

Mr Masterton wrote to the Home Secretary, The Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP, to ask how the Government is progressing its deportation action against Samuel Ciornei while noting the difficulties which such legal action to secure deportation orders can cause.

In the letter, he wrote: ‘Given that we are now five months on from the sentencing I would be obliged if you could update me on the deportation process, which I appreciate is rarely a straight forward process, but which is strongly supported here in East Renfrewshire to now ensure that they are not obliged to pay for the stay of a convicted rapist in HMP Barlinne or Shotts.’

This follows Mr Masterton raising the case with both the Prime Minister at her weekly Prime Minister’s Questions and meeting with the Home Secretary to discuss whether Samuel Cioreni had previous convictions in his native Romania.

Mr Masterton said: “Deportation action is an often difficult and time consuming process to be achieved through the courts.

“Securing the removal of Samuel Cioreni from Scotland would be a positive step given the horrific crime he committed within our community.

“Local people should not be paying through their taxes for the bed and board of a convicted rapist who must no longer be allowed to stay in this country.

“I am thankful that the Home Secretary is progressing deportation action and I thank her and the Prime Minister for their support of the community in response to this heart breaking crime.”